HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81)

HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81), QUEEN STREET

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Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1387143
Date first listed:: 08-Jul-1998
List Entry Name:: HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81)
Statutory Address:: HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81), QUEEN STREET

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1387143
Date first listed:: 08-Jul-1998
List Entry Name:: HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81)
Statutory Address 1:: HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81), QUEEN STREET

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: HMS NELSON: GYMNASIUM (BUILDING NUMBER 81), QUEEN STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: City of Portsmouth (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SU 63902 00544

Details

PORTSMOUTH

SU6300 QUEEN STREET 774-1/8/97 (North side) 08/07/98 HMS Nelson: Gymnasium (building No.81)

GV II

Formerly known as: HMS Victory QUEEN STREET. Military drill hall, now naval gymnasium. Late C19, believed to be 1893, Superintendent Engineer Colonel Sir Henry Pilkington RE. North-west elevation probably c1900; wartime damage of c1940 made good; further alterations late C20, including rebuilding of part of south-east elevation 1992. Red brick in English bond with ashlar dressings. Welsh slate roofs with continuous roof lights over hall and tall, corniced, chimneys. PLAN/EXTERIOR: large rectangular block of 2 storeys, parts with attic, with 6-stage clock tower at north-west corner. Plinth with ashlar offset; ashlar sill and lintel bands to windows which have tripartite keystones, brick apron panels, 12-pane sashes, and are segmental-arched on ground floor of north-west and south-east elevations. Ashlar architraves to doorways and to tower and attic windows, the attic windows having segmental ashlar pediments. Ashlar eaves cornice and coping to pediments and towers. North-west elevation: balanced 13-bay elevation, having central door in corniced architrave; wide, projecting, pedimented bays 4 and 10 each having a full-height round-arched entrance, set back door, and blank cartouche to tympanum. Projecting pyramidal-roofed tower of 2 storeys and attic at left end. At right end, projecting clock tower with angle pilasters; round-arched entrance; tripled slit windows below clock on each side; dentilled cornice below upper stage which has 3-bay round-arched ashlar arcade to each side; and cornice below swept pyramidal metal roof with finial. South-west elevation: at centre, projecting pedimented 3-bay section of 2 storeys and attic has tripled round-arched entrances with corniced architraves. Similar projecting section at right end, apparently subsequently altered, has entrance on left with console-bracketed hood and narrow windows. North-east elevation similar, with 2 entrances in central projection and 1st floor of 8 left-hand bays rebuilt after 1940s bomb-damage. South-east elevation: the 5 right-hand bays have been recessed a short distance (1992). Projecting machicolated embattled towers at ends and centre, the latter taller, all with

pyramidal roofs. Tripled windows to towers, otherwise paired, all with brick pilaster jambs with ashlar plinths and capitals supporting keyed archivolts. The towers have segmental-arched windows, those of end towers with decorative tympana, on ground floor dated 1885 (believed to be reused). INTERIOR: the original 2 halls (drill hall and gymnasium) are now all one space, with fluted palm-leaf cast-iron columns supporting steel lattice beams to iron roof trusses. The existing north-west elevation has been built across the original end elevation. HISTORY: the building was originally the drill hall for the Duke of Connaught's Wessex Regiment, and one of the window tympana of the south-east elevation bears a lamb, the device of the Wessex Regiment. Covered drill halls were introduced in the 1880s, for drill practice and manoeuvres in wet weather. Part of the first naval barracks at Portsmouth, comparable with the large drill halls at Chatham and Devonport.

Listing NGR: SU6373200461

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 475050
Legacy System:: LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.